


There are certain times post-trial...

by Robinsarm



Category: Dead by Daylight (Video Game)
Genre: Blood and Injury, Canon-Typical Violence, Explicit Language, Other, Will add more character tags as the stories contine
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-27
Updated: 2021-01-19
Packaged: 2021-03-10 03:14:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,428
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27737479
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Robinsarm/pseuds/Robinsarm
Summary: A collection of retellings of the survivor's and killer's lives in the fog. From face camping Bubbas to injured, tbagging Kates in the exit gate still in Slinger's range, everyone's here to relive some of the best, and worst, trials they've endured so far.
Comments: 16
Kudos: 32





	1. "If I find a key, I'm gone"

**Author's Note:**

> Half the time I'm playing DBD, I'm playing it solo. I don't record my sessions, but sometimes I'll have a match that is such good story material that I need to write it down. So, this is just going to be a collection of trials I endured that I turned into fanfiction pieces. The structure of the story is going to stay the same as how each of my trials went. It's mostly just going to consist of how I think the characters would react during and after the fact or what'd they do/say in retaliation to said trial.  
> (Also, I am an Ace/Felix/Zarina main and sometimes a Feng and Quentin main. If one of them is one of the main characters in future pieces, that's who I was playing at the time.)  
> ((Also also, I have headcanons sprinkled in here and there. Hope it's not too much of a bother. Enjoy!))

Jeff's dead.

Bill's dead.

Ace is injured and Yui was running for her life.

“ _Fuck Hawkin’s. I hate this map_ ,” she cursed as she tried to skillfully dodge the Spirit through the second-story offices. Not enough room and she’s not fast enough. Spirit’s katana manages to effortlessly slice into Yui’s forearm before she can pull it away from the windowsill. Her nerves erupt and burn her in retaliation for letting them get severed. She holds her wrist against her stomach to slow the bleeding and bolts for the end of the hallway. She’s not even halfway before she steals a glance back and _doesn't_ see the killer.

“ _How is she already able to phase_?”

Feet pounding against tile, there are no pallets to offer any sort of defense. There’s no way she can get to the ones on the first floor before Spirit would be able to knock her down; if those pallets hadn’t been used yet, that is. A last-minute decision has Yui running for the storage closet with the two-story drop. Stopping just short of the gaping hole, unable to keep her voice quiet, Yui prays that the Spirit will phase right past her—thinking that she’s dropped down.

As Yui checks over her shoulder, she realizes just how unlucky she is as the Spirit leaves her phase with her katana raised and ready to strike down. All Yui can do is brace for the hit as it tears into her back for the sixth time that match. She falls forward screaming and forces her eyes to stay open so she won’t land face-first into the concrete below. Landing on the rubble knees and chest first, whiplashing her jaw against it wasn’t much better though. There wasn’t a resemblance of oxygen left in her lungs and her vision was spinning worse than a runaway Ferris wheel. There was no doubt that multiple ribs were broken and possibly even her right shin.

It didn’t matter though. Yui knew she was dead. Ace had rescued her from the sacrificial hooks twice now and there was still a full generator to do. She was working on the solo gen up in the offices where she just was before the Spirit had found her, but that still had more than two pistons to complete and Ace wasn’t with her.

Spirit landed on Yui’s right making her heart sink; she didn’t want to die again. Surprisingly though, Spirit stood there for a moment before charging away towards the end of the hall.

The last few weeks of trials hadn’t yielded any luck in the way of escaping. Mori after being left on first hook after face camping killer, she was tired of it. She was hoping that being in this trial with Ace would change that. It hadn’t, but, regardless, he was her last hope currently.

The man liked to gloat about how “naturally lucky” he was with his plethora of stories: evading cops, winning poker tournaments off bluffs, landing any hottie at any bar he stepped into, etc. He was a character, no doubt about that. _Chaotic Dumbass_ is how Feng described him, and—after a quick description of what that meant—Yui couldn’t agree more.

As her vision cleared slightly, Yui began to look for Ace’s aura. She had seen him searching chests early on, so she was hoping he had found a flashlight and was ready to save her. No such luck, however. He was crouching, injured maybe forty meters away from her. A sigh escaped her throat as she decided to crawl away from the rubble pile she was on; maybe the Spirit would return and be unable to find her, giving Ace an opening to run over and heal her. That’s what she was hoping, anyway.

As she slipped into the room closest to her, Yui noticed Ace’s aura again. She had to stop to fully take in what he was doing. Frantically, Ace was waving his arms and motioning for her to come to him.

“ _Just come to me, idiot_ ,” Yui thought, irritated by his lack of help. Other than searching chests and unhooking her, she hadn’t seen Ace do anything else that match; other than get himself hooked as well. He was adamant though, not stopping the motion of wanting her to move.

“ _Useless and old, that's all you are Ace. You fucking owe me_ ,” Yui mentally cursed the gambler out, took a deep breath to ready herself, and began the trek. If he wasn’t going to move, she needed to.

Every inch of progress hurt worse than she could describe. The fractured bones of her shin and ribs kept ripping into her inner muscles. The blood that was left in her wake was nothing short of a horror movie slip-n-slide. Her body screamed for her to stop; to take a break at the very least. Yui knew she couldn’t afford to though. If the Spirit came back from not being able to find Ace, she was dead for sure.

The killer came close though—to her and Ace both. She noticed when Spirit was phasing close to Ace, he’d duck away further away from her; probably up against a pallet just in case the killer got too close.

Yui tried to keep her voice down as she continued her crawl. Reaching the halfway point was a milestone that brought tears to her eyes—they weren’t joyful tears though. Halfway still meant there was more to go, and the lack of air in her blood-filled lungs was only adding to her agony.

Ace was determined though. He continued to wave her over and walk circles in the hallway or room—Yui still wasn’t sure which—he was in, so he wouldn’t attract crows. She wouldn’t admit it, but it was the only thing that kept Yui going, instead of just stopping to recover. It was beyond tempting as the salt of her tears began to mix with iron tasting blood in her mouth.

There wasn’t a heartbeat to be heard and as Yui rounded the last corner, Ace exited the room he had been hiding in.

“Are you recovered at all?” Ace questioned in a low whisper. 

“No, you ass hat,” Yui hissed and spit a glob of blood onto his leather shoes. Normally he would have retaliated or shrieked at something happening to his precious outfit—not this time though.

“That’s fine. Just keep crawling, you’ve done great so far.” 

“Just _heal me_ ,” Yui groaned. 

“Shush, please. I’m sorry, just keep crawling.” Ace checked the hallways around them. “She’s probably gone back to look for you. You’re almost there. Come on.” Ace added then limped back into the room. Yui pressed on, using the last of her strength to get through the next doorway. 

“Great job, Yui. Just a bit—”

“Shut up!” she snapped and yelled. As Yui lifted her head to glare at him, she found herself immediately regretting raising her voice. Not because Spirit had suddenly made her presence known with that pulse-raising terror radius of hers. No, she regretted yelling because Ace was standing next to hatch, with a key in his hand that Yui hadn’t noticed up until that point; she felt guilty for thinking he was being useless.

A pained smirk spread across his face. “Come on hon. I can’t pull you,” Ace encouraged—something Yui no longer needed. Like adrenaline but without the exit gates, Yui slithered as fast as she could to the foot of the hatch. Once close enough, Ace shoved the key into the lock, letting the hatch fly open like a compressed spring being set free, and jumped in. Yui was quick to follow, allowing the dark to consume her and steal her away from the hell that was Spirit on Hawkin’s.

* * *

“You die?” the always optimistic veteran asked as Ace walked into the campsite, hands in his pockets. 

“Nope. We got lucky,” Ace smiled as he joined the rest of the group. 

“You got out?” Jeff asked in astonishment. 

“We both did,” Ace affirmed. “Yui was just really injured.”

The pair, plus the others that were still around the fire, nodded in acknowledgment. It didn’t matter whether you escaped or died, survivors always came back to the fire; everyone learned that on day one. However, Dwight shared his realization with the group once he found out that if you escaped a trial, but were either downed or on the verge of death, the Entity took their time to send you back to the others. Whether it was to make sure that survivor was healthy or if it was something else, none of them knew; but, they all did recognize that Dwight was right. The fact that Yui hadn’t arrived with Ace only confirmed that theory more.

“Who was it?” Claudette questioned as she was rebraiding Meg’s hair back to its infamous tri-braid look. 

“Spirit. Hawkin’s. You know, fun stuff,” Ace joked, still with a smile on his face.

“Eww,” Feng answered for how the group was thinking, which—again—commanded another collective nod. 

“How bad was Yui hurt? It’s been a minute now,” Meg questioned, even though her eyes weren’t open; she enjoyed the feeling of her hair being played with.

“Oh…yeah,” Ace rubbed at the back of his neck. “I made her crawl to me before I could help her. I feel awful for making her do that.” 

“How far was it?” Bill asked after taking a long drag of his cigarette. 

“Like…thirty, forty meters,” Ace admitted with a bit of shame to the smile he still carried.

“Ace…” Claudette started in her voice that was reminiscent of a disappointed mother.

“ACE!” Yui’s assertive, high pitched voice pulled the other’s attention away from Claudette, however. The gambler turned right as Yui jumped him and enveloped him in a full-body hug. Even though it was sudden, Ace was able to take the unexpected tackle and only landed on his rear. 

“I love you. I love you. I love you.” Yui repeated as she squeezed him harder. Ace was quick to pull at the back of her shirt though—only able to gasp out that he couldn’t breathe. 

“Oh sorry,” she apologized and let go of his neck. Ace fell onto his back, hand over his chest while he took deep breaths, and contemplated what just happened. Yui sat on his thighs waiting, still out of breath from her run back to the fire. 

“Did I break you, old man?” she laughed.

Ace smiled back and shook his head. “Nah, never. I’m just trying to remember the last time I was jumped by a woman.” 

“Pfft,” Yui laughed before getting up from her leg-seat. She grabbed Ace’s already raised hand and pulled him back up to his feet. 

“You’re not mad at me?” Ace questioned.

“No,” Yui shook her head. “The only reason I lived was because of you.”

“He made you crawl all that way though,” Claudette reminded both of them.

“Yeah, he did,” Yui agreed, giving Ace a narrowed side glance. “But Spirit had Stridor. If he came for me we’d both be dead.” 

“How’d you figure that?” Jeff asked, which prompted Yui to look at Ace again. 

“You run Iron Will don’t you?” she questioned him. He answered with a quick nod. “Yeah, I figured, but I could still hear you complaining. So, Stridor mixed with her phasing, she would have found both of us easy.”

“Hey now, I wasn’t the only one complaining,” Ace retorted half-heartedly.

“Every single one of my ribs was broken, Ace,” Yui corrected, her expression making it seem like she was a moment away from slapping him. 

“What!” Claudette exclaimed.

“Okay, okay,” Ace tried to deflate the situation. “How about we go back to the part where you said you loved me?”

Yui chuckled and shook her head. “Yes, Ace. Thank you for directing me to hatch. I appreciate escaping for once.”

Yui surprised everyone when she pulled the front of Ace’s blue, floral shirt towards her to give him a hug. She wasn’t one for physical affection and Ace was even hesitant to hug her back at first; but, when he figured it was _only_ a hug and not some kind of prank, he happily wrapped his arms around her as well. 

“Woah, Yui’s hugging people? Is it the end of times?” Steve announced as he—along with Laurie, Quentin, and Felix—returned from a trial. 

“I’d hug you if you weren’t so damn annoying, Steve,” Yui rebutted and pulled away from Ace. “Remind me later, Ace. I owe you a key.” 

“Oh, as if, hon. You owe me nothing.”

“I’ll take it,” Steve interjected again, earning a smack to the back of his head from Laurie. 

The group settled down after that. Explanations of the previous trial were told via Ace’s outlandish way of retelling stories. This retelling did, however, cause half the group to roar in laughter and the other half to cringe in sympathetic pain when he described Yui’s fall as her, “belly-flopping the cement.” Regardless, for the first time in a while, Yui was happy to laugh along with her friends over some good news for once.


	2. "Oh no, the karma..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the second one :D  
> My cowboy main this time cause we need diversity. Enjoy!

When Deathslinger was summoned for a trial and he threw one of the square keys he had as an offering to the fog, he was hoping for one of three specific maps. If he couldn’t get the yard, he would have liked the decrepit shop or even Blood Lodge given how open it was; but no. The fog decided that he deserved Azarov’s Resting Place. He sighed as he stared down the long, narrow length of the map.

“ _At least it ain’t that feckin’ gas station_ ,” Slinger thought as he began his hunt, leaving the shack. No survivors there, or next to the crane, or in the middle stretch of land. Four generators checked within twenty seconds and it was still dead quiet. The killer hadn't even seen any crows flying into the sky. 

As Deathslinger approached the other side of the map, he quickly realized why. There wasn’t enough time for him to get into range before the group of survivors completed their first generator next to the second large, yellow crane. He shot anyway and predictably missed Feng Min's back by a few meters as she and her friends—Kate, Nea, and Cheryl—headed for the safety of the large machine. Slinger likened them to cockroaches having their hiding place disturbed—nothing more than annoying pests.

Slinger gave chase to Feng who was overly skillful in her escape around the pallet and through the window of the large vehicle. Her friends wasted no time, slinking away to begin on more generators. He managed to get one hit on the survivor before she retreated to the narrow line of walls, vaults, and pallets that made up a majority of the map.

It was that only part of the map that Slinger hated. He could handle the shack or the office or even run around each crane multiple times, but it was the long stretch of makeshift walls that made Slinger want to leave the chase and go for someone else. However, he had to stick with this survivor for the first bit of his hunt. Slinger had a trick up his sleeve that he had been practicing recently.

The Shape had been oddly willing to teach him the abilities that he knew—even if he never spoke whilst the Trapper had to explain in further detail. Slinger paid no mind to the ability that would grant him a bit of haste only to lose it every time he shot his gun. The killer’s second ability seemed nice, being able to slow generator progression down from simply hooking certain survivors over and over again. But, it was the Shape's third ability that Deathslinger took to his perk-kit: _Save the Best for Last_. He’d used it a few times before but only recently figured out the strategy with it. If Slinger was able to down and hook his obsession first—being the Feng in this case—then that survivor would usually stay away in hopes of not getting downed and hooked again; meaning it would give Slinger ample time to acquire the rest of the tokens he needed. More tokens meant he recovered from hitting a survivor quicker; meaning he'd be able to aim down sight and shoot the kids faster. Thirty-second to multiple minute-long chases dropped to lasting no longer than fifteen seconds. 

Feng had doubled back over a vault right into Deathslinger’s arms, earning her a hook and allowing the killer's Barbecue & Chilli to activate.

Slinger hadn’t made it fifteen meters away, aiming to go for a generator he saw another one of the girls working on, before he was alerted to Feng being unhooked. Whipping around, Slinger thought he still had a line of sight. He raised his gun and fired, but hit the locker that was taking up half of his opening.

“ _Of feckin’ course_ ,” Slinger cursed as he quickly reloaded, faster than usually given the aid of his previous warden’s keys. Kate made the mistake of vaulting a window to Deathslinger’s left, allowing him to capitalize and reel her in for a deep wound hit. The killer noticed the large flashlight in Kate’s hands. If he remembered correctly, that specific cylinder lasted longer than the rest of them. He’d have to be careful when picking survivors up from now on if she was planning on using it.

It didn’t take long for Slinger to down the redhead and place her on the same hook that Feng was on previously. After Kate finished screaming, the killer picked up on the faint groans of pain from Feng again.

“ _Leave me be. I need ya' gone ya' harlot_ ,” Slinger thought as he reloaded his gun and stomped over to where he was hearing Feng. Obsession or not, if she wanted to die, he’d happily oblige.

Sure enough, Feng bolted when Slinger got too close but never traveled too far away from Kate. Slinger wasn’t aware of what her plan was until she made the decision to slowly vault a window with him not two meters behind her—an easy grab for him. When a shard of glass punctured his shoulder, the killer was forced to drop her and take the time to pull the piece back out.

He was furious now, especially since the second generator he had planned to visit early sounded its completion. Stabbing the blood-covered shard into the wall beside him, Slinger raised his gun, ready to fire. Aiming for Kate, who was running for a pallet, Slinger pulled the trigger but his gun only clicked back at him—demanding another round in the chamber.

“ _This ain’t gonna be a good one_ ,” Slinger sighed as he reloaded his rifle and turned on his heels, deciding to check on the generators behind him.

“ _I don’t know why you hate Azarov’s so much_ ,” Zarina had questioned him when they were sharing stories and a few drinks a while back. “ _Just protect those three gens on one side of the map. It’s a guaranteed kill, if not a win if you play it right. Other killers do it all the time. Why don’t you_?”

That’s what his plan was this time. With how his hunt was going so far, he’d like that extra kill that his survivor had insisted would come with the strategy. Only one kill would do if it meant he got to leave early.

Slinger slinked back to the side of the land he had started on. One generator in the killer shack, one hidden behind the crane, and a third tucked away in a semi-walled off structure. If one managed to slip from underneath him, there was a fourth that was somewhat close to the other three, placed in the middle section of the map.

Checking on the generator tucked away in a corner, Slinger found Cheryl about two pistons done with the machine. She, of course, ran as Slinger damaged the inner workings of the generator with the butt of his rifle.

Cheryl was new to the realm and still didn’t quite understand how Deathslinger hunted. Her overly cautious nature mixed with her anxious, zig-zagging footwork allowed Slinger to get two hits in without ever having to pull the trigger. He hooked her outside of the shack and continued his patrol.

Behind the crane, Nea and Kate had the generator nearly finished by the time he charged over to them. Like the cockroaches they were, the girls scattered while Slinger damaged that machine too—dealing a bit more thanks to Clown’s ability Slinger hadn’t taken off since he learned it. Slinger only watched as Kate ran for Cheryl since he was too busy running circles with Nea around a pallet next to the crane. The third generator sounded simultaneous with the firing of Slinger’s gun, boring deep into Nea’s shoulder before she was able to drop the pallet.

One hit and she was crying while running towards the shack. Another hit less than ten seconds later and she’s the last hook Slinger needed for his Barbeque & Chilli tokens. Happy with that at least, Slinger decided he needed to focus.

Deathslinger had an unhealthy habit when he let himself calm down and focus. When he was calm he’d slip into a state similar to blind rage. He’d hit more shots, laugh less when he managed to reel a survivor in, and all-around became more brutal in his way of hunting—like the survivors were nothing more than a group of elk and Slinger was on the verge of starving. When he’d slip into one of these states, hunts became a blur and he was acting on instinct alone.

So, when he hooked Cheryl again and the Entity’s claws immediately stabbed into her stomach, Deathslinger realized he had been running on 'morbid auto-pilot' for quite a long time. He looked around the map to assess what he had failed to fully focus on.

One generator left, but his loose three-machine strategy was still holding up—crane, shack, and middle. Since Slinger hooked Cheryl close to the middle generator, he damaged it and left to check on the shack. 

A whimpering Nea was there working the machine with only a piston’s worth of progress completed. Deathslinger quickly realized that she had become his obsession.

“ _When did that happen_?”

Slinger rolled his shoulder and immediately felt a second spot where another shard of glass went in lower than the first. 

“ _Feckin’ brat_ ,” Slinger thought as he raised his gun and fired.

With Nea struggling against the Entity in the basement, the final generator finished, sounding the alarm on the exit gates. Slinger rolled his eyes and reloaded his rifle, fully intending on heading for the exit behind the crane. Luck was in his favor, given that both gates were on the same side of the map he was currently on. The only thing he needed was time but he was all out of that.

Deathslinger squinted at the exit gate past the crane; no one on the handle, no lights illuminated yet. He turned to his right and managed to spot a faded set of scratch marks heading towards the shack behind him. The Entity allowed killers to see where the survivors were going if they had sprinted past that area recently. Without that information, Slinger would have considered hunts nearly impossible. 

Following the tracks was easy as they got more vibrant with every step he took. They led directly to the basement steps and Slinger was able to see Feng round the bottom corner as he charged down from the top. The survivor had a deathwish since she was rescuing her friend whilst still being injured herself.

As he reached the basement floor, Deathslinger swung his bayonet blindly and managed to sink it deep into Feng’s back. Nea had already been pulled off the hook and was running past the killer as he quickly wiped the blood from the side of his gun. She never could have gotten far; both of them knew that. All the killer had to do was sidestep before he raised his rifle again and pulled the trigger. Nea screamed as the five-pronged spear landed in her freshly unhooked shoulder.

Slinger was cautious to hit her immediately, worried that her friend gave her that strange immunity to his damaging efforts; he had forgotten what Zarina called it. Slinger saw it more than often enough to know how to counter it, but his chain wouldn’t last forever. He held her at the bottom of the stairs for as long as he thought he needed to. Maybe he stabbed her a bit sooner than he should of when the Swedish survivor told him where he could shove his rifle next time. Regardless, she crumpled to the floor then was swiftly thrown onto the furthest hook from the stairs; Feng getting the hook to her right.

“ _Well, that’s three. The redhead’s prob'ly gone by now_ ,” Deathslinger considered as he ascended the stairs. He checked the exit gate furthest from him and, to no surprise, Kate was limp-running towards it. She had a good fifty meters on him, but that didn’t stop her from looking back.

In the doorway to her freedom, the survivor decided to shine her flashlight at the killer over and over again in quick bursts. Even though Deathslinger was too far off, he knew the sound all too well. As each beam of light hit his vision, the infernal clicking sound rattled through his skull. Deathslinger _hated_ that noise.

Kate was reveling in her win even though she hadn’t left yet. Bold of her to do so given that she was still injured. 

Deathslinger figured he wasn’t going to get there in time. If this girl was anything close to smart, she’d leave the second she officially heard him coming. He could still try though. A phrase from Zarina popped into his head as he pressed forward:

“The trial’s not over til it’s over. There’s no reason to stop trying because you _think_ you're not going to win.”

The closer Slinger got, the more real—and infuriating—Kate’s clicking flashlight became. She had ducked further back down the runway but still insisted on making her presence known. Even if he missed, Deathslinger just wanted to shut her up and return to his realm. 

With one final click from Kate’s flashlight, Slinger sidestepped into a line of sight, raised his rifle to his shattered jaw, and fired.

The wide-eyed look both survivor and killer gave to the other was identical—like a mirror. Neither could believe that the spear landed. Deathslinger held the crank on the side of his rifle, too stunned to actually begin pulling. Kate trying desperately to rip the spearhead from her shoulder so she could cross the threshold that wasn’t a foot behind her. Try as she might, there wasn’t anything Kate could do as Deathslinger finally broke from his shock and began to reel her in; a sickeningly sinister grin forming slowly across his face as he did. It was the very end of what his chain could handle as Deathslinger stabbed Kate to the floor.

Blood pooled under her. She refused to move or look at the killer wiping the blood from his rifle above her. Slinger only wished he had brought a mori to end the trial right. But, for now, he’d settle for a similar sound he could make that echoed the survivor's flashlight.

_Click. Click. Click. Click._

Rapidly pulling the trigger on his unloaded rifle over and over again was a more satisfying punishment for the killer than anything the Entity could do. Even as the blackened claws pulled the girl’s corpse into the sky, Deathslinger refused to stop pulling the trigger until the fog rolled in and stole him away.

* * *

Caleb didn’t know how long he had been sitting and staring motionless in his refurbished shack on the grounds of Glenvale. All he could think about was that shot and the immediate regret that was so palpably displayed on Kate’s face. He only broke free from the repeating memory when he heard the wood floor of the shack creak behind him, followed by three quiet knocks to the doorframe.

“So, I heard—”

“Holy _fuck_ , Kassir!” Caleb exclaimed before the survivor could finish speaking. He wasn’t startled, he was just beyond ready to explode onto anyone about what had happened. When their eyes met, Caleb noticed the survivors' shock; but she was still smiling letting him know she wasn’t worried about his outburst.

“Good trial?” Zarina inquired, hitched laughter escaping her throat. 

“I—I don’ think I’ve ever hit a shot…quite like that. It was jus’ so…,” Caleb trailed off. 

“Deserving?” she added.

“Yes!” he agreed wholeheartedly. His posture was still hunched over on the stool, hands on his knees with a thousand-yard stare burrowing into the wall.

Zarina laughed again. “Kate won’t even talk to us. What happened?”

“She mad?”

“Oh, she’s pissed,” Zarina admitted, her face still radiating enjoyment. “I mean, no one’s happy. Nea’s mad at Feng for farming her. Cheryl’s upset that she lost a ranger med-kit. But Kate…”

Zarina stared past the cowboy, shaking her head slowly, only to break into a grinning laugh again.

“Kate won’t say a damn thing. What did you _do_?”

Caleb shot from his seat and walked over to the doorway with a spring in his step. Before Zarina could get out of his way, Caleb ducked down and grabbed the survivor under her hips, easily picking her up and slugging her over his shoulder. She yelped playfully, having endured the same thing multiple times before.

“We’re drinkin’ for this one, love. It’s quite the story,” Caleb beamed as he carried his survivor across the dusty streets of Glenvale to the saloon for a well-deserved glass of whiskey. 


	3. "Do you really think you're gonna get to use those?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long break. Finals and work have been kicking my rear. Until I have another longer fic finished and ready to share, here's a short post-trial, fireside argument/discussion I can imagine happening due to Feng and Jane trying to be smart.

Kate wasn't mad. Not this time. If she hadn't been too busy rummaging through her toolbox pre-trial to notice Feng and Jane's items of choice, she would have said something. Feng had no excuse for trying something so half thought out. And Jane...Kate could lean either way with Jane. Sure she was newer than Kate but she'd been in the realm long enough; certainly long enough to know not to follow Feng's lead when it came to her "ideas."

Of course the Hillbilly was going to be upset about seeing a key and map combo before the trial ever started. For the first time ever, Kate found herself fully agreeing with the killer for choosing to run Franklin's Demise. Her teammates deserved to be knocked down a peg.

As the glow of the fire finally met Kate's eyes, she managed to also catch a glimpse of Feng pacing the length of the campsite. Jane and Yui were resting on logs closer to the fire, looking glum. Either from getting their ears yelled off from one of Feng's notorious complaining fits or from the outcome of the previous match, it had the same effect.

"I can't believe you guys just left me to die on my first hook!" Feng hissed with an equally venomous glare shot over in their direction.

"Feng, again, I tried," Yui protested. "But Billy came out of nowhere and immediately sawed me down."

"Then get better at dodging!" Feng retorted.

"Ya did nothin' Yui," Kate proclaimed as she finally crossed the threshold of trees into their camp.

"Thank you," Yui said with a bit of relief in her voice.

"It's not like you were trying to help either," Feng added, now facing Kate with her arms crossed.

"For a damn good reason, now sitcha' ass down next ta Jane. We need ta have a chat," Kate ordered.

"About what-"

"You know damn well what about. Now go," Kate restated her order, marching over to where Feng stood.

Trying to move Feng to where you needed her was like trying to herd cats. For whatever reason though, she lamented this time and stomped slowly over to where Jane sat next to the fire. Yui caught Kate's irritated stare before Kate motioned her off the log with her eyes. Unlike Feng, Yui was quick to leave Jane's side in favor of the log Felix and Élodie were on, staring at the scene about to unfold with wide eyes.

Kate dropped her hands to her hips and shifted all of her weight into her left leg. "Now, what the hell were you two thinkin'?" Kate exclaimed as the heat rose to her face. "A key and a map! Really?"

Feng averted her attention from Kate's fuming stare, favoring to look off into the woods to her left. Meanwhile, Jane leaned forward, her arms resting on her knees.

"I just wanted to try it," Feng mumbled.

"Since when does it work?" Kate yelled back.

Neither of them answered.

Kate exhaled sharply. "Who brought the blueprints?" She had remembered seeing the rectangular piece of paper fly into the fire in the corner of her vision, but not who threw it. After a long moment of silence, and a not so subtle head turn from Feng, Jane reluctantly raised her hand.

"You had a map," Kate reminded her.

"Feng asked me to offer it," Jane admitted, receiving a pinpoint leer from Feng in the process. The gamer went to open her mouth to retort but Kate snapped her fingers before a noise could leave her throat.

"I don't wanna hear it. What did we learn?" Kate prodded, her eyes dancing back and forth between the two of them. When neither of them spoke she continued, "it ain't a rhetorical question."

"Don't listen to Feng," Jane grumbled under her breath.

"That's a given," Kate told Jane, having heard her. "What else?"

A heavy sigh escaped Feng as she rubbed at her temples. "Don't bring a map and a key at the same time," she answered, her voice barely above a whisper.

Kate wasn't expecting her to be the one to speak first, but she was glad she did. She didn't let it show though. "A key, a map, and what?"

"Blueprints," the pair answered simultaneously.

"Good." Kate whipped her attention around to the trio sharing a log behind her. "And you two-"

"We got it," Felix answered quickly, his hands raised in appeasement. Élodie nodded in agreement.

Both their faces looked like they were contemplating throwing out each of their individual stashes of maps and keys. It gave Kate a sense of pride knowing that the newcomers weren't going to make the same mistakes she and others had made before. At least that way they'd find themselves entering a trial without a target already painted on their backs. Kate only wished one of them had taught her that when she arrived at the realm. But, if Kate could help it, she'd make sure the cycle of ignorance would end with her.


	4. "Adam, wait, no. She's not phasing!"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's been a minute, but I'm back with a small one. Just shy of five pages, I hope y'all enjoy! (Updates after chapter as well)

“What’s Ace doin’?” Kate questioned as she walked up to the scene just on the outskirts of the camp’s fire. Ace was face down in the dirt, his arms by his side in his black and white tux uniform. Adam had his arms crossed, leaning against a tree next to the distraught man. 

“He’s accepted death,” Adam informed her while being unable to control the smile on his face. 

“Okay,” Kate continues, skeptically. “So, what happened then?” 

“He sandbagged Nea and got her killed,” he explained.

“It was an accident!” Ace’s head shot up in protest.

Kate and Adam both erupted in a fit of laughter and snorts. They each knew the uncontrolled temper of a bomb that was Nea Karlsson, so both survivors knew Ace’s fate before she could even do anything.

“Who?” Kate asked.

“Spirit,” Adam answered

Ace dropped his head back into the dirt with a groan as Kate wiped tears from the corners of her eyes. He mumbled something that neither caught, but both were quick to assume what it was. 

“Adam, can you go get Felix please?” Kate asked, still smiling, and dropped down to her knees at Ace’s side. 

“Of course,” Adam replied, holding one of his sides from the laughter, as he walked off towards the camp; Kate’s stomach was feeling the same strain. 

She placed her palm on the gambler’s back, quickly rubbing back and forth over his shoulders. “I’m so sorry for your loss, love,” Kate couldn’t help but joke, causing Ace to groan in anguish again. “You’ll be okay,” she reassured him while still laughing. She brought her head down, resting her forehead in between his shoulder blades, and tried not to shake from the amusement that still racked her being. 

It had been quite a long time since Nea had blown up on anyone. The last person who had done something similar to Ace’s blunder was Feng, but the gamer had sandbagged Nea intentionally. No one was surprised when Nea swung the first punch without warning. But, some were surprised that Feng’s nose broke as bad as it did. David and Jeff, of course, broke up the engagement, and, one trial later, Feng’s nose was back to its former self. However, the two have never been on the same level of friendship since then. They more just look at each other like someone they have to be near; like a shitty coworker that you have to finish a project with. 

“What’s going on?” the German finally arrived at Kate’s left, nearly kicking Ace in the head as he approached. 

“Comfort your man, please,” Kate said, patting Ace’s back which drew Felix’s attention. The man, apparently, hadn’t even noticed the six-foot-tall gambler laying distraught against the dirt. 

“Ace?” Felix dropped to a squatted position, immediately running his fingers through the man’s graying hair. “You’re going to ruin this suit too.” 

“Can we stop making jokes at my expense?” Ace’s pleas were muffled by the dirt, but both Kate and Felix made out just enough to stare at each other in worry. Ace wasn’t one to ask for jokes to stop, even if they were aimed at him; if anything, he’d just play along. 

Now, with basically all amusement gone from Kate and Felix’s anxiety slightly spiking, the German reached down under his boyfriend’s shoulders and pulled his top half up out of the dirt. “Come now, sit up. Tell me what happened?” Felix coddled the man like he was his child that just came home with a new injury. 

“It was an accident,” Ace repeated as he was pulled to his feet. Ace was either bone light or Felix was just stronger than Kate thought; regardless, she was impressed by how effortless it seemed for Felix to pick his man up.

“What was?” Felix pressed further, already brushing the dirt off the old casino uniform. 

“I accidentally got in Nea’s way…letting Spirit down her,” Ace admitted while trying to help in the cleaning endeavor. Felix stopped halfway down his chest, grabbing two fistfuls of his vest. The thin pressed line of his mouth and closed eyes was a dead giveaway as to what he was doing, or rather trying not to do. Felix may have been newer but even he wasn’t exempt from knowing about Nea’s wrath. 

“Don’t you start laughing too!” Ace berated him.

“I’m not,” Felix cleared his throat. “I’m not. I just—” The man stole a glance from Kate, who was also back to grinning like an idiot, then shook his head. “You’ll be fine.”

“As if,” Ace whined, dropping his face down into the crook of Felix’s neck. “She’s going to tear me apart.”

“I’ll request she keep your upper half intact, alright?” Felix finally joked, earning a snort from Kate and a pinch to the rear from Ace. Felix was quick to pinch him back, knowing Ace was a bit more sensitive in that specific area. The gambler flinched forward, completely closing the distance between himself and his partner. 

“It’ll be okay, love,” Felix assured him through a chuckle and a bear hug.

“How’d the match go, Nea?” Feng’s sudden words about sent Ace back into the dirt like an ostrich. His knees buckled from under him, leaving only Felix to hold the man up. 

“Come on now,” Felix pleaded through grunts of exertion. 

“Where’s Ace?” The trio heard Nea ask the members currently at the fire. 

“Nope. Let me go. I’ll let Nurse kill me,” Ace pleaded and tried to slip from his partner’s hold like he was an unwilling cat. Felix held his grip, fully believing Ace would make a run for the burnt asylum, while Kate checked on the camp. But when her check turned into pinpoint pupils staring back at them with a rolling hand motion to wrap it up, Felix knew what was coming but checked for himself. He hadn’t expected Nea to be right there, her blue eyes already darting between each member there. He hadn’t even heard her approach. 

“Am I interrupting something?” the Swed spoke with a calm but direct voice. No one took the opportunity to respond to her, Felix only struggled more to keep Ace up since he had gone full “dead-weight” on him; probably trying to act like he was passed out.

“Nah, we’re just cleanin’ Ace up,” Kate said, then kicked Ace in the shin. Her cowboy boots were pointed enough that the pain evoked a flinch from the man. Her actions even got one of Ace’s rare death-glares; she was honored and returned it with a cheeky smile. 

“Can I talk to him for a minute?” Nea’s voice dropped just enough for the three to notice. Before a second could pass, Ace was out of Felix’s arms and scrambling to fix his vest; all the while avoiding as much of Nea’s sharp gaze as he could. 

“Ace—” 

“Nea, just let me explain myself first,” Ace interrupted before her words could do any more damage to his mental state. His voice was filled with an uncharacteristic and frantic nervousness that neither Felix nor Kate had seen before. 

“I was running over to help. I saw Spirit with Kindred. She wasn’t phasing so I was going to distract, but Adam jumped in super quick to unhook you. Then I thought, ‘shit, now I have to take a hit.’ and that’s all I was trying to do!”

“Ace—” Felix tried to interrupt but the gambler waved him off. 

“I did not mean to get in your way. I was just trying to get around you, I promise! Please, please forgive me. I am so sorry.” 

Ace’s distressed apology had pulled multiple sets of eyes from the fire. Not only that, but Felix and Kate were both furiously flicking their eyes back and forth between Nea and Ace, waiting for something to happen. Nea, however, still appeared unphased; her arms still crossed with her ice-blue eyes freezing Ace with her unwavering stare. 

“Come here,” she whispered. Her tone made it clear that she wasn’t going to repeat herself. Ace, if he hadn’t already, looked about ready to soil his bloodied dress pants. Tentatively, the man stepped up to the woman as close as his better judgment would let him—around a meter of space between them. Not happy with the remaining space, Nea closed it, causing Ace to force his eyes shut in anticipation for—

“Ow!” Ace yelped as a loose punch hit his left shoulder—still hard enough to push him back a bit. He opened his eyes and stared at the survivor, whose gaze was now much softer, but still cold.

“I appreciate the apology,” Nea said then raised a finger aimed at him. “Don’t do it again.”

With that, the tagger turned on her heels and left the trio. The reaction was so unexpected and water-downed that none of them knew what to do once she was out of earshot. Kate looked to Felix who was still staring at Ace who was wide-eyed, breathing heavier than was probably healthy, and staring at the forest floor. Still clutching his shoulder, he turned and reached back for this boyfriend.

“Sit me down. I’m gonna have a heart attack,” Ace proclaimed and practically fell into Felix’s arms. Both he and Kate began cracking up again at the display they were used to seeing. 

“Dramatic as always,” Kate jested. Felix could only agree with a smile as he held the shaking man in another bear hug—not wanting or willing to let go until his drama fit was over and they could rejoin the others. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off, thank you for reading my shit-posts. I very much appreciate it.  
> As for future updates for this fic. series, they're most likely going to be slow coming until around April or May. I'm currently finishing up my last semester of college and I have work/a capstone course that's going to take a lot of my time. I'll work on fics here and there, and I still have a lot that I haven't finished as well. Be patient with me. I still love DBD and writing, I'm just going to be focused on other things for a little while.  
> (Also, if you're wondering what the name for Ace x Felix is, it's Riconti. You can blame @dweetwise, on here and on Tumblr, and their amazing fics for converting me to the ship)  
> ((Also also, if my titles don't make sense it's because they're kind of inside jokes between me, myself, and I. The titles are based on what I remember saying mid-trial))


End file.
